Artanis
Artanis is the leader of the Daelaam. A renowned warrior, he seeks to unify his beleaguered people, and will let nothing stand in his way to restore the glory of the protoss. Biography Early Service The Praetor Council took Artanis to Aldera as a youngling. There, he ignited his first psionic blade. As a member of the Templar Caste, Artanis served extensively alongside his comrade Fenix. The two traveled across hundreds of worlds. One such world was Dannuth VII, inhabited by a race called the tagal. Fenix and Artanis led their forces against them and although the protoss were outnumbered 30:1, they still emerged victorious. The Great War Enter the Zerg Artanis was appointed to the position of executor during the zerg invasion of Aiur, following the apparent defection of the previous executor, Tassadar, to the Dark Templar. To this end, he began by fortifying the base at Antioch, once again serving alongside Fenix. Antioch was held against the zerg and a successful counter attack was made. Artanis' actions pleased his superior, Judicator Aldaris, restoring his faith in the Templar Caste. An interruption by Tassadar however, sending his thoughts from the planet Char, was not so pleasing. Regardless, Tassadar spoke of what he had learned from the Dark Templar, how striking down the cerebrates was the key to winning the war against the zerg. Aldaris decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, though Tassadar maintained that he would remain on Char for the time being, returning when the time was right. Putting Tassadar's suggestion into action, Artanis and his forces held the line against the zerg while Fenix moved his own forces into position for an assault on the Baelrog Brood's cerebrate. In this, he was successful, penetrating the hive cluster and striking down the cerebrate. However, after staying behind to observe the brood's actions, Fenix reported that the cerebrate had reincarnated, having seen it with his own eyes, driving its forces forward for the next offensive. Seething at Tassadar's apparent treachery, Aldaris ordered Artanis to reclaim the province of Scion from the zerg, while Fenix remained behind at Antioch to guard against counterattack. While Artanis was successful in taking back the province, Antioch came under heavy attack in the meantime, Fenix falling in the assault. Heresy In the wake of the recent victories against the zerg, Artanis was tasked with finding Tassadar and bringing him back to Aiur to face justice and grieved for the loss of Fenix. He found Tassadar (and his new human companions) after barely rescuing them from a zerg attack led by Kerrigan. Artanis's first thoughts of Tassadar were negative, as he witnessed him wielding the powers of both the Khalai and Nerazim. And yet, he sensed no evil in Tassadar's thoughts. Artanis placed his trust in Tassadar. and agreed to help him rescue Zeratul and his band of Dark Templar. Battling against the zerg and even Terran Dominion forces, the Dark Templar were successfully rescued. They agreed to return to Aiur. Upon returning to Aiur, Artanis and company received welcome from Fenix, whose body had been recovered from Antioch and implanted inside a dragoon exoskeleton. The response of the Conclave however, was hostile, surrounding the landing zone with the Vanguard of Aiur and ordering them to stand down and surrender the Dark Templar for execution. Initially, Tassadar was willing to battle against the Vanguard of Aiur, Artanis following suit. However, unable to stomach his people slaughtering themselves in battle, Tassadar surrendered himself to the Conclave. Artanis protested against Tassadar's decision, but Tassadar stated that it was the only way to end the bloodshed, and give his followers a chance in the wider war. Thus, Tassadar was taken into custody. Artanis and Fenix were left without Tassadar to guide them, and Zeratul and his Dark Templar had disappeared. However, with the aid of the terran Jim Raynor in the Hyperion, they were able to rescue Tassadar before he could be executed.> In addition, Zeratul returned to the fold, sharing his knowledge of the zerg, of how they too were created by the xel'naga, how they would run rampant throughout the stars if not stopped here and now. It was a task that Artanis was ready to take on. The Battle for Aiur To clear a path to the Overmind, its defenses had to be thinned. Fenix proved apt in this, weakening the defenses of the hive cluster, allowing Zeratul to assassinate the cerebrates. A last, final assault on the Overmind was thus made ready, the Templar Caste and Dark Templar, alongside Raynor's Raiders, pooling together their forces. With the Conclave's blessings, Artanis, Raynor and Tassadar led their forces against the Overmind and its minions. In the end, though the Overmind was weakened, so too were those who assaulted it. In a final act, Tassadar set the Gantrithor on a collision course with the Overmind, hoping to channel enough Void energy through the hull in order to slay the creature. Artanis protested the choice, but Tassadar remained firm. He was willing to follow the path fate had given him. He told Artanis that one day, he would understand. With that, Tassadar guided the Gantrithor on a collision course at the creature, destroying both it and himself in a burst of Dark Templar energy. As the chaotic, swirling energies subsided, a heavy silence settled over the battlefields of Aiur. Due to Tassadar's sacrifice, the Overmind was now dead and the Zerg Swarms were scattered and broken. However, like those around him, Artanis knew that victory had cost them all but their lives. The Brood War Escape from Aiur Artanis was appointed Praetor and oversaw the evacuation of refugees through the warp gate to Shakuras and their defense from accompanying zerg until Dark Templar reinforcements arrived. The evacuation was a success but Raynor and Fenix were forced to remain on Aiur to close the gate and ensure no further zerg followed. Artanis promised to send as many troops as could be spared back to Aiur before the gate closed. Upon meeting the Matriarch Raszagal and learning of the xel'naga temple, Artanis was very enthusiastic about retrieving the Uraj and Khalis crystals in order to activate it. However, Raszagal wanted the zerg scoured from the temple grounds first. Afterward, Sarah Kerrigan appeared and made her introduction to the protoss leaders. While Raszagal welcomed her, Artanis said he could not forget her crimes against his race. Quest for the Crystals Artanis, Zeratul, Kerrigan and the Executor departed for the planet Braxis, where the Uraj was located. Overcoming damage to their warp matrix, which prevented Artanis' forces from summoning stargates, the protoss defeated the Terran Dominion forces there and recovered the crystal. When the protoss tried to leave Braxis, however, they meet a surprise: the United Earth Directorate. Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov had constructed a series of missile turrets on a space platform over Braxis, which would prevent the protoss from escaping. Stukov demanded the surrender of the protoss. ]] Artanis was incensed at Stukov's attitude and unimpressed by the arrayed UED forces. Zeratul cautioned against underestimating the enemy. Artanis led the protoss breakout from the front in his scout. However, the assault bogged down as the UED defended the fusion reactors which powered the turrets, with Zeratul dispatching reinforcements when necessary. With this aid, Artanis destroyed the fusion reactors, shutting down the turrets, allowing the escape of the protoss. Artanis's next destination was Char, home of the new Overmind and the location of the Khalis Crystal. Unfortunately, the new Overmind had nestled very close to the Khalis, requiring the protoss to fight their way past a large number of zerg in order to recover the crystal. Kerrigan and Artanis both proposed ways of recovering the crystal. Kerrigan suggested striking hard and fast so as to fight their way through the defenses and escape with the crystal, while Artanis suggested doing enough superficial damage to the Overmind to temporarily pacify the nearby zerg—the new Overmind was still in its infant stage, and it's control over the zerg was still weak. Kerrigan commented that either plan would work. Artanis was humbled when Zeratul compared him to Tassadar for the plan's boldness. The protoss struck out, assisted by the few zerg Kerrigan was able to wrest control of. The Khalis was secured and Artanis urged a return to Shakuras lest the zerg overwhelm that world in their absence. Return to Shakuras ]] When Artanis, Zeratul, Kerrigan and the Executor arrived back on Shakuras, they found it in a state of uproar. Raszagal told them that Aldaris, seemingly angered at the abandonment of Aiur, the alliance with the Dark Templar and the acceptance of Kerrigan, had taken control of the Judicator and Templar warriors and was preparing to lead them in an attack against the Matriarch. Aldaris even had archons which he could send against them, which worried Artanis, but Zeratul told him not to worry—the Dark Templar had archons of their own. After defeating Aldaris, Artanis and Zeratul confronted him. Artanis tried to persuade Aldaris that Kerrigan had changed, but Aldaris replied that the Matriarch had been manipulated. As Aldaris tried to explain the real reasons behind his revolt, Kerrigan interrupted the conversation by killing Aldaris. Zeratul banished a gloating Kerrigan from Shakuras as a result of her actions. Artanis was disgusted to learn that Kerrigan had been playing them all along and that the protoss had gone along with her game, but had to carry on with the plan to remove the zerg from Shakuras. Fury of the Xel'Naga ]] When the protoss returned to the xel'naga temple, Artanis personally carried the Uraj; with it, he activated the temple and used its power to eradicate all zerg life on Shakuras. The Siege of Char Kerrigan returned to Shakuras, capturing Raszagal and transporting her to Char. The protoss followed. After a brief alliance (resulting in the death of the Overmind) the zerg and protoss began to fight each other. The battle resulted in the death of Raszagal and the destruction of the protoss fleets. Zeratul set out in search of Artanis so they could return to Shakuras and plan their next moves. Kerrigan's rash attack on the protoss put her in a perilous position; most of her forces had descended to the surface of Char leaving Char Aleph relatively unguarded. Artanis led a fleet to the space platforms, intent on revenge for Kerrigan's actions. Artanis commanded the assault on Kerrigan's platforms; his forces, along with Emperor Arcturus Mengsk and Admiral Gerard DuGalle of the UED launched a combined assault. However, the alliance crumbled before the might of the Zerg Swarm. Artanis warned Kerrigan that the protoss would never forget her treachery, and would be watching her. Defeated, Artanis and the protoss survivors returned to Shakuras to begin rebuilding their once glorious civilization. Resurrection Artanis participated in a secret mission on Braxis. He called a conference with his old terran comrade Jim Raynor, alerting him to the truth of rumors that Raynor had heard; former United Earth Directorate Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov, who was murdered by former UED agent Samir Duran, had been resurrected and infested by the zerg, specifically by a cerebrate named Kaloth. Raynor believed Stukov would never "sell out to the zerg" but Artanis warned him that it was very possible. He didn't want to kill Stukov, however; instead, he would employ a new nanotech serum which could reverse the infestation process. He sent Raynor and Praetor Taldarin to the surface of Braxis in order to accomplish the mission. Afterwards, his forces "purified" Braxis, melting its surface which destroyed all life on it, including both the zerg and the soldiers who defected to Raynor and Taldarin. Becoming Hierarch Sacrifice Artanis was hailed as a hero for his efforts during the previous conflicts. He took a position within the Hierarchy, as the representative of the Akilae Tribe. However, he intended it to be a temporary position, as his only aspirations were to be a warrior. The Hierarchy however, reached one impasse after another in its debates. IIn 2502, it came to pass that Zekrath declared that the body needed a leader—both he and Mohandar agreed that Artanis was the best choice. Artanis refused, reaffirming his intention to leave the group after the end of the next cycle, but other members voiced their support. Artanis was given the day to reconsider. Both Nahaan and Tabrenus threatened to leave the group if Artanis did not take on the position. Artanis made it clear to Mohandar that he had no desire for the position, but as Mohandar pointed out, desire and need did not always align. It was a fact that Tassadar had known to be true. In solitude, Artanis reflected on his mentor, and on the events of the Great War. Selendis informed him that members of the Hierarchy were preparing to leave Shakuras, as they did not believe that Artanis would take on the position. Artanis feared that all would be lost if he did not accept. Selendis pointed out that their fleets could take them to a new world, but not, as Artanis pointed out, as the Daelaam. Selendis conceded that perhaps the unity of Khalai and Nerazim was never meant to be. She left, promising to return the following day. Once again left alone, Artanis wished Tassadar was here instead of him. The next day came, and Artanis greeted the Hierarchy with silence. Tabrenus exclaimed that Artanis had obviously not chosen to become hierarch, and that he would leave at once. However, Artanis had indeed agreed to take on the role of hierarch; the supreme leader of the reunited protoss. Leader of the Daelaam As hierarch, Artanis focused on merging the two sects of protoss society together. Some protoss could not understand that the Khalai and the Dark Templar were two halves of the same species and were psychologically regressing to a tribal state; Artanis had his hands full trying to prevent this slide into tribalism. His chief assistant was Selendis. He could not count on Zeratul for help as he had not been seen for years. He ordered the construction of the Golden Armada, with the explicit intention of someday using it to retake Aiur, as it was the only shared interest between the Khalai and Nerazim. As hierarch, Artanis was granted ceremonial armor. Its design was intended to reflect the cultures of both Aiur and Shakuras, and stand as a symbol of their combined strength. He reflected that it offered far more protection than his previous suit (or, in some cases, where he had not worn armor at all). To his annoyance, Daelaam would sometimes rearrange the furnishings of his council chamber without his knowledge. The Battle of Artika ]] In 2502, Artanis oversaw military operations, such as the battle of Artika, where his forces captured a xel'naga temple, at great loss. Twilight In 2503, a group of protoss survivors from Aiur and terran Rosemary Dahl arrived on Shakuras through the warp gate. The gate had been redirected as the last of the travelers entered from the Aiur side; Jake Ramsey, a terran archaeologist, "host" to Zamara, a preserver's spirit he was carrying, ended up elsewhere. Zamara was carrying information which was extremely important for the protoss people, and her presence was slowly killing Ramsey. Dahl demanded the protoss help her retrieve them, but they were initially unwilling to trust a terran or risk lives to help her. Executor Selendis championed Dahl's cause. She hoped to arrange a private audience with Artanis, but instead the entire Hierarchy arranged to be there. Artanis, while taking the views of the other tribal leaders into account, agreed with Dahl and ordered the launch of a rescue expedition. He allowed Vartanil, a survivor from Aiur and craftsman, to accompany the mission, a wise decision since his skills resulted in the rescue of much knowledge. The Second Great War Artanis]] By the Second Great War, a common acclamation among zealots was "For Artanis!" In the aftermath of the conflict, as Kerrigan lead the zerg away from the Koprulu sector, the protoss were given their opportunity to retake their homeworld. Furthermore, Valerian Mengsk, now emperor of the Terran Dominion, organized a cease-fire with Artanis, and the Dominion ceased all aggressive actions against the Khalai and Nerazim. Noting that the terrans were no longer a threat thanks to the destruction the conflict had wrought on them, Artanis declared that Aiur would be reclaimed. Voices of dissension went unheard as preparations got underway. Children of The Void As the Golden Armada neared completion and therefore a chance to retake the protoss home world of Aiur, Artanis was faced with bitter dissension among the Nerazim faction of the Daelaam. Rebel dark templar, who angered over how the Khalai protoss "stripped mined" Shakuras to fuel their armada war machine and how the Nerazim leader, Mohandar, in their eyes, failed to protect their culture and interests, assaulted and took control of the citadel to incite resistance. Knowing how fragile relations to the Dark Templar are, Artanis and Selendis ordered a team of zealots to "discreetly" contain the rebels with minimal bloodshed. He also ordered to keep this event away from Vorazun, Matriarch Raszagal's daughter, who is his most outspoken critic in regards to the Golden Armada and how he was bringing the dark templar into "their conflicts". Though this failed due to Vorazun's agents. Despite having a team ready, Vorazun and Mohandar traveled into the temple to attempt to negotiate with the disgruntled rebels. Tragically, while they were successful in disarming most of them and killed their leader, Mohandar was killed. Hearing Vorazun's resolve to aid the Daelaam and honor Mohandar, supported her claim as the new Matriarch of the Nerazim. Legacy of the Void The Invasion of Aiur Reflections In 2506, Artanis took the Golden Armada under his command and led it to Aiur, as reclaiming it was the only common interest possessed by both the Khalai and Nerazim. In doing so, he hoped that a new protoss civilization could be created from the rubble of the old. Yet on the day before the invasion, Artanis was plagued by self doubt. He excused himself from the fleet and came down to the surface of Saalok. His friend Kaldalis joined him, questioning his absence. Artanis admited that he had doubts as to whether he could lead the invasion to victory, and questioned whether Aiur was worth reclaiming at all. Kaldalis claimed that Aiur was the heritage of the protoss, yet Artanis pointed out that so too was the Aeon of Strife. Yet the protoss did not cling to that dark time. Kaldalis pointed out that the Aeon ended favorably for the protoss, as Khas united them through the Khala, and the Firstborn turned Aiur into a paradise. Yet again, as Artanis reminded him, the protoss once again fell into civil strife in the Discord, as the Dark Templar separated themselves from their Khalai kindred. He voiced the belief that the zerg's invasion of Aiur was fate's punishment for their past sins. And that Aiur was an ideal that had served its time. ]] Kaldalis refused to accept that, and told Artanis that he had volunteered to be a khundelar. That his friend had inspired him to do so, so that they could make a new world for all protoss. Kaldalis departed the moon's surface, urging Artanis to return. To lead them home. For a moment, Artanis remained, before likewise teleporting upwards to rejoin the fleet. Invasion The invasion was launched and a beachhead was established on the surface. Onboard his ship, Artanis addressed the Templar who would be warped down to the planet's surface en masse. However, Zeratul appeared nearby, prompting Selendis to order the Templar to arrest the Nerazim. Artanis allowed Zeratul to speak, who warned the protoss of the threat of Amon, and that Artanis had to call the invasion off. Artanis, remembering his history with Zeratul, nonetheless stated that too many had already been sacrificed in order to call off the invasion. He ordered Selendis to commence the reclamation. The protoss forces landed outside the ruined city of Kherrisan, as they fought to reactivate its warp network. The protoss forces made headway against the feral zerg, but eventually came across a brood that, as Zeratul pointed out, were acting with far more coordination than their mindless counterparts. Artanis conceded the point, and soon, the protoss discovered the guiding hand—hybrid reavers. However, even they fell before the protoss forces. With the warp conduits secured, Artanis gave Selendis control over the invasion, while he retired to discuss matters with Zeratul further. Zeratul revealed to Artanis of the Keystone, the xel'naga artifact that would the key to stopping Amon and a prophecy that the xel'naga would stand with the protoss in the end. Artanis urged Zeratul to go to Korhal to obtain the Keystone from Raynor. Zeratul's warnings proved accurate, as the invasion was thrown into disarray as Amon revealed his presence, corrupting the Khala. Artanis was directly possessed by Amon and forced to fight Zeratul. Though the Dark Prelate managed to sever Artanis' nerve cords, freeing the Hierarch from Amon's control, he was fatally wounded as a result. Horrified at what he had done, Artanis cradled his old friend in his arms, who reminded one last time to seek the Keystone, before disintegrating into dust. Artanis later rendezvoused with Phase-smith Karax, who also had his nerve cords severed by the Nerazim. Acknowledging that the invasion had failed, Artanis lead his remaining forces in retreat in the Spear of Adun. Onboard the ship, once safely far from Aiur, Karax instructed Artanis on the nature of the ship. Artanis declared that they would avenge what had transpired at Aiur. Subsequently, while checking the war council section of the ship, they found Grand Preserver Rohana, who had been awoken from stasis. Artanis became hostile when Karax pointed out that she was still connected to the Khala. Though Rohana assured them that Amon held no power over her, Artanis warned that if she were to be corrupted, he would not hesitate to execute her. Charting a Course Korhal Artanis took his forces to Korhal, where the Terran Dominion was under attack by the Moebius Corps. Artanis cooperated with Raynor's forces onboard Sky Shield, dealing with Moebius Corps's forces while Raynor's repaired the space platform's atmospheric stabilizers, preventing the platform from crashing into Augustgrad. After securing the space platform, Artanis and Raynor now had to retrieve the Keystone which had been stolen by Mobieus Corps. Gathering their forces, Artanis, Raynor, and Emperor Valerian Mengsk faced off against the Moebius Corps force and their Hybrid leaders, defeating them and securing the Keystone. In the aftermath of the battle, Korhal sustained heavy damage. As the survivors were gathered, Artanis and Raynor shared a moment atop a cliff, as Raynor paid tribute to the fallen soldiers. As Artanis claimed that the fate of all warriors laid in death, Raynor replied that fate isn't set in stone. In addition, Raynor expressed his faith in Artanis for future battles, as he had faith in Zeratul's words. Before parting, the two exchanged handshakes, for Artanis asked "It is your custom to shake the hand of a friend, is it not?" The Keystone was secured on the arkship, and Chief Engineer Rory Swann transmitted all data he knew on the object to Artanis. Shakuras Artanis attempted to travel to Shakuras to regroup with Matriarch Vorazun and the Nerazim, but found that Amon had activated the warp gate connecting Aiur to Shakuras, and lead a force of zerg to overwhelm the planet. The Hierarch lead the Daelaam to clear out launch bays of the creep so that her ships could escape from Talematros. Vorazun, refusing to let her home fall to Amon, ordered that the phase prism of the xel'naga temple be overloaded, destroying Shakuras. Artanis was tasked with defending the temple until the Zerg population had reached its apex point. The Daelaam succeeded and Artanis manually activated the destruction. His forces dimensionally recalled while he stayed behind to finish final preparations. Artanis singlehandedly held out against a horde of zerglings and hydralisks as the phase prism overcharged, and recalled as the phase prism detonated. In doing so, Artanis completed the Shadow Walk in the eyes of Matriarch Vorazun, making him a true dark templar. Glacius Knowing of a secret Khalai research base on the planet Glacius where a new generation of Purifiers were being developed, Artanis took the Spear of Adun to the planet in order to gain an edge over Amon. However, a Tal'darim fleet under First Ascendant Alarak had already arrived, and began bombarding the facility with his mothership's displacement beam. Artanis mobilized his Daelaam forces and moved through the beam and pushed through Tal'darim forces on the surface in an attempt to reach the facility's technology vault before it was destroyed. The operation was successful, and Karax found a Purifier template stored in the containment sphere. This Purifier was based off of Fenix, who had no memory of dying, and still saw Artanis as his old friend. This both relieved and disturbed Artanis, who was reminded of Fenix's fall at the hands of the Queen of Blades, and struggled to contend with whether the Purifier before him was actually his old friend. Ulnar ]] Following Zeratul's prophecies, Artanis found the xel'naga's home deep in the Alterian Rift where it was believed no life could survive. Artanis went into the temple alone to investigate and found the xel'naga inside. Here, he was surprised by a hybrid. The hybrid fell to the ground beside him, and had been killed by Kerrigan. Before Artanis could engage Kerrigan, they both were ambushed by a Reaver hybrid. The hybrid pummeled Kerrigan before Artanis challenged. Buying time for Kerrigan to regenerate, Artanis attacked the hybrid. Just before he was overwhelmed, Kerrigan killed the hybrid. They then investigated the temple together. When they arrived at the Chamber of Ascension, they found the room pillaged and the xel'naga killed. Kerrigan escaped, but Artanis was captured by Amon after falling into his trap. Alarak boarded the Spear of Adun to parley with Vorazun. He told her that he would aid in freeing Artanis before being destroyed by the Void energies in exchange for vengeance against Amon. Vorazun agreed to the deal, and freed Artanis and shut down Ulnar's portal to the Void with the help of Kerrigan and the Swarm. This lead to the discovery that Alarak wished to aid Artanis in the battle against Amon. This, however, wouldn't be a worthy alliance without the control of the Tal'darim. The Tide Turns Slayn Artanis made an alliance with Alarak to confront gain leadership of the Tal'darim through the defeat of Ma'lash in Rak'Shir. Before Alarak could make the challenge of Rak'Shir, he ordered Artanis to eliminate the Tal'darim guardians, claiming it to be a part of the ritual. After the guardians were killed, Alarak revealed that this was not a part of the ritual, but was a quick way of eliminating any Tal'darim that may challenge Alarak to Rak'Shir in the future. Alarak then approached Ma'lash and challenged him. Alarak and Ma'lash then travelled to the Pits of Ascension to battle. Artanis defended Alarak during the confrontation from Ma'lash's hybrid, and even Amon's forces. Alarak defeated Ma'lash and assumed control of the Tal'darim. A new alliance was formed between Alarak and Artanis, and they decided to cooperate to end Amon. Revanscar Following Vorazun's elite dark templar, Artanis discovered Moebius Corps' central headquarters and hybrid breeding facility in the asteroid field of Revanscar. The field was too thick for the Spear of Adun to penetrate, so Artanis ordered carriers to mobilize and penetrate to the facility. However, when they arrived the arkship was ambushed by Moebius Corps battlecruisers and boarded. Artanis stayed behind to fight off the hybrid that had boarded the ship, while Phasesmith Karax organized the assault on the facility. As Karax's assault continued, the hybrid and Moebius Corps battlecruisers fell back to defend the facility, freeing the Spear of Adun. After the facility's power generators were destroyed, Artanis used the Spear of Adun to bombard the facility, destroying it and ending Moebius Corp's machinations. In the aftermath, Artanis gave Karax the honors of a templar, and stated that he would abolish the caste system of the protoss from that day forward. Cybros Upon finding out about the purifiers, Artanis traveled to Cybros to reactivate them. There was a Megalith on the surface of Endion, which Cybros orbited that was designed to unlock the locks that guarded Cybros. Artanis eliminated the local zerg threat of Amon's brood and used the Megalith to allow access to Cybros above. Upon landing on Cybros, they activated sections of the station. The first wave reawakened a Purifier with the personality of Executor Clolarion. Clolarion proclaimed that in order to align with the Daelaam, Artanis was mandated to assist Clolarion in eliminating Amon's brood from the surface. After fully activating the Purifiers, Clolarion activated the station's weaponry, destroying all life on the surface of Endion. This brought upon the alliance of the Daelaam and the Purifiers. Reclaiming Aiur With the full might of his rebuilt army, Artanis committed a unified assault into Aiur. Rohana insisted that the psionic matrix that powered the surface of Aiur be destroyed, to prevented Amon from easily accessing the Golden Armada. Alarak and Vorazun worked together to destroy one of the matrices, Fenix and Karax destroyed the second, and Artanis, with the aid of the Daelaam armies, destroyed the final matrix. They could then face Amon's host body. They soon found that the bodies of the templar protoss combined with the carcass of the Overmind were being used to make Amon's host body. Artanis found that once the Void shards in the area were destroyed, then they could eradicate the host. They succeeded in this, and Cybros, the Spear of Adun, and the Death Fleet, all focused their fire, and destroyed Amon's host body. The final step was to wait for the Keystone to activate. After holding off the might of the Golden Armada, the hybrid, and Amon's brood, the Daelaam retreated to the Keystone's bunker. Immediately after the Keystone activated, Amon's influence on the Khala was removed. He then urged Selendis to sever her nerve cords. Selendis was hesitant to do so, asking what would become of their people. Artanis answered that they would be free of Amon. Selendis complied with his order before encouraging her fellow templar to follow suit. With no physical bodies to possess, the Keystone banished Amon back to the Void. With the protoss now capable of having free will, the protoss race is ushered into the age of peace and prosperity on Aiur. Artanis erected a memorial for Zeratul and placed his warp blade on it as a tribute to his sacrifice. Into The Void and Commander Jim Raynor in the Void]] Two years after the successful reclamation of Aiur, Artanis received a psionic call for assistance from Kerrigan, leading him back to Ulnar. Upon reaching Ulnar, Artanis, Kerrigan, and Raynor lead a joint Terran Dominion/Zerg Swarm/Protoss armada into the Void with the sole purpose of permanently killing Amon. During the assault, Samir Duran was killed by Alexei Stukov, and the joint fleet freed Ouros, the xel'naga who had been guiding Zeratul in the guise of the spirit of Tassadar. Upon freeing Ouros, Artanis, Raynor, and Kerrigan learned that only a fellow xel'naga can kill Amon, and that Kerrigan was the only person capable of ascension. Artanis helped Raynor in aiding Kerrigan's mission until her successful victory against Amon. Post-War In the aftermath of Amon's death, Artanis extended an invitation to the Tal'darim to permanently join the Daelaam. Alarak declined, however, but allowed any Tal'darim who wished to join one chance to accept Artanis's offer. Artanis also began to conduct peace negotiations between the Daelaam and the Terran Dominion. The One-Day War By 2512, Artanis and the Daelaam were rebuilding, but struggling to get by without the Khala to guide them. Nonetheless, they continued upgrading their technology, but due to the state of their society they were unable to provide aid to the nearby ailing terran nations. In order to ascertain how trusting the terrans were, he send a protoss researcher named Ulavu to study the terrans and learn of their tactics for use in a new warp disk weapon. However, when he refused to use a ghost he befriended to test the weapon for fear of having her feel betrayed, Artanis effectively exiled Ulavu, and refused him back in the Daelaam. Once the Daelaam got word that the protoss satellites around the planet Gystt, a planet purified by the protoss early in the Great War, had gone silent, Artanis sent a force to investigate. He found that the planet had been completley regrown by the zerg, with Overqueen Zagara as the cause. He prepared to purify the planet once again with Emperor Valerian Mengsk arrived with a Dominion fleet, stating the zerg had called them there too. Zagara contacted the both of them, stating her purpose was a peaceful one, and she sought to use the techniques the Swarm used to regrow Gystt on other planets of the terran and protoss. Artanis was resistant to the idea, but Valerian convinced him to come down with him to negotiate. On the surface, Artanis investigated the strange plants grown by Zagara. He admitted to Valerian that he felt anger that it was Sarah Kerrigan, a fusion of terran and zerg, who ascended to a xel'naga, and not a protoss. He also knew that the plants on the world had xel'naga essence in them. After the Dominion survey team sent to investigate the planet were attacked and destroyed a nest of strange new zerg creatures, Zagara became enraged. She explained that the adostra were what made the planet, and they were a mix of zerg and xel'naga essence made by Abathur. Abathur denied the existence of the creatures that attacked the research team, and the situation became tense when Zagara began to levy threats. Artanis left the conference hall, but Valerian continued to stay. Artanis deployed his ground forces to secure the nests, but they were attacked by zerg under the control of a mutant breed that attacked the survey team, named the chitha. Meanwhile in orbit Artanis had his mothership charge up its purifier beam to destroy the planet, but said he would not fire unless provoked. When the final nest was secured by terran and protoss forces, Valerian convinced Artanis to allow them to discover if Abathur was behind the attacks, and to give the zerg a chance to prove their intentions as Jim Raynor had to Tassadar years earlier. Artanis agreed, stating that valor was never meant to be easy. The survey team then boarded Zagara's leviathan, and discovered it was Abathur who created the chitha breed and plotted to start a war between the three races. The chitha were destroyed, and Abathur was apprehended. Artanis then took part in peace talks with the Dominion and Zerg Swarm, and talked of how to best use the adostra. In Utter Darkness ]] In the early stages of the war, Zeratul sought information on the Dark Voice and the hybrids. He experienced the Overmind's vision of the future and the protoss' last stand on a distant, shadowed world. Artanis would be present at that final battle, commanding the mothership, ''Shield of Aiur and leading a fleet of protoss ships as well as a ground force. As he died he wondered how the protoss could have known that Kerrigan was the key to stopping Amon and expressed remorse. Personality and Traits Artanis harbors a deep respect and admiration for Tassadar. During the Brood War, he hoped to become as great a hero as Tassadar; a path which, although noble, could cause him to forsake his better judgement. In the years following the conflict, he expressed that he had no desire to be a leader, and has only ever aspired to be a warrior. However, he was willing to put aside his own desires for the greater good. He continues to look upon Tassadar as an inspiration and vows to honor his former mentor. Artanis believed that he had to serve his people, and pushed himself to be the leader he envisioned for his people. During the Brood War, he demonstrated a dismissive attitude towards terrans, with the exception of Jim Raynor. However, by the End War, he showed appreciation of their potential and respect for their customs, seeing their nobility. He helped the Terran Dominion in their defense of Korhal, and even showed regret for not trying to find a more peaceful solution to Moebius Corps. By the time of the reclamation of Aiur, Artanis demonstrated great regret and self-doubt, in regards to his own abilities, and of the worth of attempting a reclamation at all. He believed that Aiur's fall had been a punishment of sorts for the protoss, in regards to their past sins. Artanis accepts that there are many flaws within the world. However, it is his approach to work with them and improve them. Artanis is not a "showy" individual, though he is willing to don attire to satisfy the will of others and follow decorum. Artanis once believed that his species had reached the pinnacle of attainable knowledge, but was humbled at the sight of Ulnar. He now accepts that there is far more in the galaxy than even the protoss can understand. Abilities Artanis possesses centuries of experience, and combines both martial prowess with tactical acumen. He has demonstrated the ability to wield a psi-blade and warp blade in tandem. His psionic power is enough to grant him levitation. In battle, Artanis makes liberal use of his shields, overcharging them when he is overwhelmed. Artanis can also teleport using an ability called lightning dash, and can channel the astral winds in order to heal himself and nearby allies. Artanis also strove to unify his divided people, and sought them together as they faced the Brood War and a deep cultural and social divide in its aftermath. During the End War, his ability to unify his people was proven, in not only uniting the Khalai and Nerazim, but also bringing the Purifiers and Tal'darim under one banner to destroy Amon and reclaim Aiur. Category:Characters Category:Protoss Characters